Josh Taylor vs. Jose Ramirez - 22 May 2021

[NoScoutingReports]

[jameswilson]

May 22nd. Las Vegas. You’d assume MGM Grand.

[THEBUTCH]

This fight is an absolute "can't miss" classic

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release

Two undefeated junior welterweight kings, one undisputed title

Unified WBC and WBO champion Jose Ramirez, the pride of California’s Central Valley, will fight Scotland’s unified IBF and WBA champion Josh Taylor for the undisputed world championship on Saturday, May 22. The winner will become only the second undisputed junior welterweight champion of the four-belt era, joining pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford.

Boxing fans in the US can watch Ramirez vs Taylor live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and simulcast on ESPN+. The start time is set for 8:30 pm ET / 5:30 pm PT.

In Australia Ramirez vs Taylor airs live on ESPN on Kayo. The date and time converts to May 23 at 2:30 pm AEDT / 9:30 am AWST.

“This is the best boxing has to offer, two elite fighters in the prime of their careers colliding in a legacy-defining matchup for the undisputed championship of the world,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “It’s a true 50-50 fight, one that the fans and both fighters demanded.”

Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs) has been a world champion since March 2018, when he toppled Amir Imam via unanimous decision to win the vacant WBC strap. Following the Imam victory, he hired noted trainer Robert Garcia, and the duo has combined to go 4-0 in world title fights.

Ramirez knocked out Maurice Hooker in July 2019 to unify world titles and defended his belts last August with a majority decision over former world champion Viktor Postol. Ramirez, a proud son of Mexican immigrants who hails from Avenal, Calif., is an agent of social change in his community. He’s devoted his time and resources to myriad causes, including cancer research, water rights for area farmers, and COVID-19 relief for Central Valley field workers.

“I look forward to making history by becoming the first boxer of Mexican descent to hold all four major world title belts,” Ramirez said. “I dedicate this fight to the Central Valley farm workers, who are out there every day helping feed the world. This fight is big, but nothing is bigger than getting vaccinations to the farm workers right now in the Central Valley.”

“No excuses, no fake social media promises, no grandstanding. This is the best fighting the best at their absolute best,” said Rick Mirigian, Ramirez’s manager. “Jose will have his hand raised in the end, solidifying his status as a Hall of Famer.”

Like Ramirez, Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs) fought as a lightweight at the 2012 London Olympics, where he advanced to the Round of 16. While he didn’t turn pro until 2015, “The Tartan Tornado” won the Commonwealth 140-pound title in only his seventh pro bout.

Taylor toppled Postol by unanimous decision in 2018 and won the IBF world title the following year with a decision over Ivan Baranchyk. He unified the IBF and WBA titles in October 2019, edging Regis Prograis by majority decision in a brutal masterpiece. He made his first defense as a unified champion last September, blasting out mandatory challenger Apinun Khongsong in the first round. Taylor hopes to make a little history of his own as the first undisputed, four-belt Scottish champion.

Taylor said, “I’m excited it’s been finalized and over the line. I can’t wait to get in there for the biggest fight of my career. Fighting for the undisputed title is something all boxers dream about.”

The undercard bouts for Ramirez vs Taylor to be announced in the coming weeks.

[Crease]

I know that that the Americans and the Mexicans think a lot of Ramirez... But I can see Josh winning this on points.
This may have come at the perfect time for him...

[Ruthless-RKO]

What are the betting companies saying?

[NoScoutingReports]

I read earlier that Bob Arum is working on a more accommodating start time for UK fans for this fight, like 12/1am which would be spot on. Taylor decision for me! Great match up.

[Glass Joe]

should be close at the bookies, yanks will probably make Ramirez a slight faviourte and Uk bookies Taylor a slight faviourte

[Ruthless-RKO]

I read earlier that Bob Arum is working on a more accommodating start time for UK fans for this fight, like 12/1am which would be spot on. Taylor decision for me! Great match up.

Question is, who picks this up in the UK?

NoxBation? BT or Sky?

Hope it's not Premier Sports

[ALI]

Amazing fight, Taylor can win this. He said it perfectly himself, it is his fight to loose. If he gets his tactics right, he wins this by close fought, but deserved UD.

Taylor is slightly favoured to win with the bookies, with odds of 4/11 at Paddy Power, and most outlets goung around 4/9. Widest odds on Ramirez I seen are 7/4. For a boxing match that's reasonably close odds. By comparison Alvarez is much more favoured to beat Saunders with most bookies offering 1/7 on the Mexican, and Saunders as wide as 9/2.

[Alba]

Shite that we won't realistically get a chance to go over to this due to restrictions

[DrDuke]

My prediction: Taylor will win confidently, 116-112 or 117-111.

[maverick23]

I read earlier that Bob Arum is working on a more accommodating start time for UK fans for this fight, like 12/1am which would be spot on. Taylor decision for me! Great match up.

Question is, who picks this up in the UK?

NoxBation? BT or Sky?

Hope it's not Premier Sports

Arum, as always, will want as much money for it as possible. He’s looking to start it at 12amish U.K. time so they can potentially look to do PPV.

BT will be in prime position for it but if they don’t offer enough/refuse to put it on PPV then Bob will look elsewhere.

Bob will think it’s a big PPV in the U.K. and whilst it’s a great fight, Taylor vs Prograis delivered really low PPV numbers in a prime time slot with the Sky machine behind it. Also a few of Prograis’ fights had been broadcast in the U.K. so he’ll have likely been more known in the U.K. than Ramirez.

Only way this will work is to combine it with an ace U.K. show and wrap the whole thing as PPV.

[emallini]

Taylor deserves more recognition, he is one of the best P4P boxers in the world. I expect him to win in May.

[KiwiRider]

My prediction: Taylor will win confidently, 116-112 or 117-111.

Ha! But what will the judges cards say?

[DrDuke]

My prediction: Taylor will win confidently, 116-112 or 117-111.

Ha! But what will the judges cards say?

It's impossible to tell, how judges can go, they are often corrupt and/or incompetent.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Jose Zepeda-Pedro Campa Set For May 22 On Jose Ramirez-Josh Taylor Undercard

Jose Zepeda is set to return from his epic knockout of Ivan Baranchyk.

BS.com has learned that Zepeda will oppose Pedro Campa in a 10-round junior welterweight match May 22 in Las Vegas. ESPN will televise the bout between Zepeda (33-2, 26 KOs, 2 NC), of La Puente, California, and Campa (32-1-1, 21 KOs), of Hermosillo, Mexico, as its co-feature before Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor square off in the 12-round main event for the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 140-pound championships.

ESPN will broadcast that night from one of two Las Vegas venues – either MGM Grand Garden Arena or Michelob ULTRA Arena, formerly known as Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Zepeda won one of the most stunning slugfests in boxing history in his last fight. The 31-year-old southpaw overcame four knockdowns to knock out Baranchyk in the fifth round of a main event ESPN televised October 9 from MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

The resilient Zepeda also sent Baranchyk to the canvas four times in an unforgettable battle BS.com and numerous outlets named its “Fight of the Year” for 2020.

Their unbelievable brawl included not only eight knockdowns overall, but two rounds in which both boxers went down. Zepeda somehow survived two first-round knockdowns and one knockdown apiece in the second and fifth rounds to knock the ever-brave Baranchyk cold toward the end of the fifth round.

Barely 20 seconds after Baranchyk dropped Zepeda to the canvas for the fourth time, Zepeda blasted Baranchyk with a left hand that emphatically ended their scheduled 10-round junior welterweight battle. Zepeda’s devastating shot dumped Russia’s Baranchyk (20-2, 13 KOs) on his back awkwardly, with his right leg bent beneath him, and instantly ended their brutal back-and-forth fight with just 10 seconds to go in the fifth round.

The 29-year-old Campa agreed late last year to fight Adrien Broner in a “Showtime Championship Boxing” main event February 20 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. One of Campa’s team members contracted COVID-19, though, and he was forced to withdraw from that bout early in January.

Cincinnati’s Broner (34-4-1, 24 KOs, 1 NC) beat Campa’s replacement, Puerto Rico’s Jovanie Santiago (14-1-1, 10 KOs), by unanimous decision in their 12-round fight February 20.

A few weeks after withdrawing from the Broner bout, Campa defeated Venezuelan journeyman Carlos Cardenas (26-18-1, 16 KOs) by majority decision in an eight-rounder February 6 in Hermosillo, Mexico.

Campa is 5-0-1 since suffering his only professional loss, a seventh-round technical knockout to countryman Carlos Jimenez (then 11-8-1) in October 2017 in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Elvis Rodriguez-Kenneth Sims Jr. As Part Of Ramirez-Taylor ESPN Tripleheader

After going the distance for the first time in his career, Elvis Rodriguez has agreed to face another opponent who hasn’t been knocked out.

Boxing Scene has confirmed that Rodriguez, a hard-hitting junior welterweight prospect from the Dominican Republic, and Kenneth Sims Jr. have been scheduled to meet May 22 on the Jose Ramirez-Josh Taylor undercard at a venue to be determined in Las Vegas. ESPN will televise their eight-rounder as part of a tripleheader.

As Boxing Scene previously reported, 140-pound contender Jose Zepeda (33-2, 26 KOs, 2 NC), of La Puente, California, and Mexico’s Pedro Campa (32-1-1, 21 KOs) will square off in the 10-round co-feature.

Veteran boxing writer Steve Kim was the first to report on Twitter that the Rodriguez-Sims bout will be part of the Ramirez-Taylor telecast.

The 25-year-old Rodriguez (11-0-1, 10 KOs), a southpaw who is trained by Freddie Roach, went all eight rounds in his most recent appearance. He defeated Argentina’s Luis Veron (18-3-2, 9 KOs) comfortably on all three scorecards (79-73, 79-73, 78-74), but Rodriguez wasn’t as impressive in that February 20 bout at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas as he looked while recording four straight quick knockouts at that venue over a three-month period last year.

The 27-year-old Sims, meanwhile, will attempt to pull off a televised upset that would rejuvenate a pro career that hasn’t justified the hype that accompanied the accomplished amateur into the paid ranks.

The Chicago native has won two straight bouts against opponents with losing records, but he dropped an eight-round unanimous decision to Philadelphia’s Samuel Teah (17-4-1, 7 KOs) in his prior appearance. That loss to Teah in November 2018 marked Sims’ third setback during a difficult four-fight stretch.

Sims (15-2-1, 5 KOs) previously lost an eight-round majority decision to Rolando Chinea (15-2-1, 6 KOs) in July 2017. In the fight after Chinea beat him, Sims settled for an eight-round split draw with Montana Love (13-0-1, 6 KOs) in July 2018.

The Ramirez-Taylor card will take place either at MGM Grand Garden Arena or Michelob ULTRA Arena, the venue formerly known as Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs), of Avenal, California, and Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs), of Prestonpans, Scotland, will fight for Ramirez’s WBC and WBO 140-pound titles and Taylor’s IBF and WBA belts.

[KiwiRider]

I rewatched both Taylor & Ramirez vs Postol.
Going by that comparison, Taylor dealt with a fresher Postol better than Ramirez, after being schooled for the first 4 rounds, and has come a long way in experience and skills.
Arum is saying it's a 50/50 fight, but I don't see it.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Robeisy Ramirez To Return on Ramirez-Taylor Undercard

Featherweight prospect Robeisy Ramirez (6-1) has advised BS.com that his first fight of 2021 will take place on May 22nd on the Jose Ramirez-Josh Taylor undercard. The main event will be televised by ESPN along with Jose Zepeda taking on Pedro Campa and Elvis Rodriguez facing the biggest challenge of his young career against Kenneth Sims Jr.

The rest of the undercard, including Robeisy’s fight, will be streamed on ESPN+. His opponent will likely be Juan Tapia (10-3) who has tested fighters such as Shakur Stevenson and Vladimir Nikitin when they were prospects.

Last year the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the sport of boxing tremendously and halted the activity level of many fighters. The Las Vegas based Cuban proved to be the exception to the rule as he was able to perform in and win 5 fights with 3 of them coming by knockout.

Ramirez suffered a major upset in his professional debut against Adan Gonzalez. He has since teamed up with world class trainer Ismael Salas and is undefeated ever since. He was able to get revenge against Gonzalez in July when he shut him out on all 3 scorecards 60-54 in their rematch.

The 27-year-old captured Olympic gold at the 2012 and 2016 games as a flyweight and then as a bantamweight.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Zepeda-Campa Scrapped By NSAC; Zepeda Needs New Opponent For May 22

Jose Zepeda needs a new opponent for his May 22 fight in Las Vegas.

BoxingS cene has confirmed that the Nevada State Athletic Commission won’t allow Zepeda to fight Pedro Campa on the Jose Ramirez-Josh Taylor undercard that night. Top Rank Inc., Bob Arum’s promotional company, announced Zepeda-Campa as the co-feature on the Ramirez-Taylor card April 1.

Bob Bennett, executive director of the NSAC, informed Top Rank this week that the commission doesn’t consider Campa a suitable opponent for Zepeda. Top Rank’s matchmakers are looking for a replacement that the commission will approve.

“These are the decisions of the Nevada State Athletic Commission,” Carl Moretti, Top Rank’s vice president of boxing operations, told Boxing Scene. “I understand we have to adhere to them. If I agreed with them, we’d both be wrong.”

Boxing Scene contributor Dan Rafael first reported on Twitter that the NSAC didn’t approve Campa as Zepeda’s opponent.

Campa’s record (32-1-1, 21 KOs) mostly has been built against nondescript opposition in his home country of Mexico. The 29-year-old Campa has just one loss, however, and Zepeda is coming off a brutal back-and-forth fight against Ivan Baranchyk, whom Zepeda knocked out in the fifth round October 9 at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

In his most recent action, Campa beat Venezuelan journeyman Carlos Cardenas (26-18-1, 16 KOs) by majority decision in an eight-rounder February 6 in Hermosillo, Mexico, Campa’s hometown.

Campa was supposed to fight four-division champion Adrien Broner on February 20 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. He withdrew from that bout early in January, though, because one of his team members contracted COVID-19.

Zepeda would’ve been an obvious favorite versus Campa, but Zepeda won’t be brought back against too dangerous of an opponent due to the grueling nature of his brawl with Baranchyk.

The 31-year-old Zepeda (33-2, 26 KOs, 2 NC), of La Puente, California, survived four knockdowns on his way to beating Baranchyk. Zepeda also recorded four knockdowns of Russia’s Baranchyk (20-2, 13 KOs), the last of which emphatically ended their scheduled 10-round, 140-pound fight.

Boxing Scene and numerous other outlets voted Zepeda-Baranchyk as “Fight of the Year” for 2020.

Moretti also informed BS.com that the NSAC would only approve the opener of ESPN’s tripleheader May 22 – Elvis Rodriguez against Kenneth Sims Jr. – as an eight-round fight. Top Rank tried to make Rodriguez-Sims a 10-round junior welterweight bout.

Neither the Dominican Republic’s Rodriguez (11-0-1, 10 KOs) nor Chicago’s Sims (15-2-1, 5 KOs) have been scheduled for more than eight rounds in their respective careers.

Meanwhile, Top Rank has not yet announced the venue for the Ramirez-Taylor card, which is scheduled for five weeks from Saturday night. MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob ULTRA Arena, formerly known as Mandalay Bay Events Center, are the two arenas under consideration.

A limited number of fans will be allowed to attend the Ramirez-Taylor card. COVID-19 restrictions have prevented Top Rank from selling tickets to any of the 26 cards it has held at MGM Grand Conference Center since June 9.

Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs), of Avenal, California, and Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs), of Prestonpans, Scotland, will fight for Ramirez’s WBC and WBO 140-pound crowns and Taylor’s IBF and WBA belts.

[coneye]

I'd have 100% favoured Taylor but the fact he's boxed 1 round in 18 months and had a change of trainer since the Prograis fight tightens it up a bit for me. Still not sold on Davison, hope he doesn't make him too cautious.

THIS , I would of been picking Taylor to edge this one , But not keen on his choice of trainer here

[margaret thatcher]

the vegas commission let worse mismatches than zepada-campa happen all the time, wonder why they decided not to let that one specificlaly not happen

[THEBUTCH]

Taylor's sharp shooting counter punching skills, backed up by spiteful digs or Ramirez's robust relentless, swarming style.

May 22...hottest match up of 2021

Let's not turn our back on the good things in life lads We keep saying the best don't fight each other, but it's happening right here.
Let's embrace it

[Verdi]

Taylor's sharp shooting counter punching skills, backed up by spiteful digs or Ramirez's robust relentless, swarming style.

May 22...hottest match up of 2021

Let's not turn our back on the good things in life lads We keep saying the best don't fight each other, but it's happening right here.
Let's embrace it

IMO he's already beat the 2nd best in the division, when he beat Prograis.